8.3: Hypotheses for Statistical Inference

When structuring your decision-making, set up your hypotheses in the following manner:

• Null Hypothesis: H₀
  • The result is due to chance.
• Decide to accept the null hypothesis.
  • Nothing happened. All random. Nothing interesting here.
• Alternative hypothesis: H_A
  • The result is not due to chance.
• Decide to reject the null hypothesis.
• Something must have caused that result, because that result does not usually occur.

Usually, the goal is to reject the null hypothesis because we want to say we found something.

BTW, writing a hypothesis is much simpler when you state the hypothesis as a prediction. Although the following is statistically correct, it is awkward to read.

An introduction to the study could be written like the following passage.

Hypothesis one: The null hypothesis was that there would be no difference in the mean scores between the groups. The alt hypothesis was that there would be differences in the mean scores between the groups.

In the results section, then you would have to write the following, “The findings did not support the null hypothesis.”

Technically, the sentences are correct, but the presentation is awkward since the reader has to do mind flips to realize that the findings support the hypothesis. When writing hypotheses, keep them simple. An introduction to the study could be written like the following passage.

Hypothesis one was that there would be differences in the mean scores between the groups.

In the results section, then you would have to write the following, “the findings supported hypothesis one.”

---